Books for YAs

May 2013 Kindle Fire Giveaway

Robin — Mon, 06 May 2013 22:24:43 +0000

This is a joint AUTHOR & BLOGGER SPONSORED GIVEAWAY!

Kindle Fire HD 7″ Giveaway

The winner will have the option of receiving a 7″ Kindle Fire HD (US Only)

Or $199 Amazon.com Gift Card (International)

Or $199 in Paypal Cash (International)

Sponsoring Bloggers & Authors

Giveaway Details

1 winner will receive their choice of a Kindle Fire 7″ HD (US Only), $199 Amazon Gift Card or $199 in Paypal Cash (International).

Ends 5/31/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the participating authors & bloggers. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
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Book Blast! Helga: Out of the Hedgelands, by Rick Johnson

Robin — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 11:00:10 +0000

Helga: Out of the Hedgelands

Twelve-year-old Helga has more danger in her life than most beasts her age—Wrackshee slavers after her, a vicious attack by bandits that nearly kills her, a race against dragons pursuing her, and leading a daring rebellion to save her life and rescue friends and family from the insidious WooZan. And that is just the beginning. But what do you expect when you are a young beast who just can’t see the stupid rules of the world making any sense? Helga can’t accept things as they are and ends up taking on not just one, but two all-powerful, supreme tyrants in two different realms.

Helga never intended to lead a revolution. It just sort of happened because she wouldn’t go along with the “rules of normal” that keep tyrants in power and entire societies enslaved. Beginning on a dangerous quest to solve some mysteries in her own past, Helga leads her quirky comrades on a journey that will not only forever change them, but upset ancient civilizations.

As an author, I’m drawn to eccentric, unexpected characters: those who surprise because they hear a distant galaxy, see a different music, create their own fragrance rather than get hooked on a soundtrack; the child who has her own ideas about how the emperor is dressed; the lunatics and rebels who tell stories on the boundaries. Helga’s unusual story will take readers to worlds they never imagined—definitely a whole new ride.

Time and again, the unconventional heroine and her eccentric comrades overcome ominous tyrants and black-hearted slavers, not by battling to the last beast standing, but by being the first beast to think differently.

Helga: Out of Hedgelands is divided into three books which introduce the epic saga of the Wood Cow clan and their role in overturning centuries of slavery and tyranny. This story will continue in additional volumes of the Wood Cow Chronicles now in development. Over the series of current and future volumes, the entire history of the Wood Cow clan, the fall of Maev Astuté, and the coming of Lord Farseeker to the Outer Rings, will be told.

Amazon

Book Trailer

Author Rick Johnson

I am a native of the Great Plains, having grown up on a farm in the Platte River Valley of western Nebraska. I love the wild beauty of the Plains and nearby Rocky Mountains–the too hot, too cold, too empty, too full of life extremes. Typically, the awesomely diverse and the awesomely stark are much the same, even as they are different. Although I have lived in Michigan, North Carolina, and British Columbia, the western plains, mountains, and desert are in my heart.

As my day job, for over thirty years I have been a faculty member and administrator in higher education. Teaching broadly in the liberal arts, including creative writing, my professional publications include educational materials, poems, and 28 stories for young readers. During my spare hours, I have also collected and carefully studied the records of former times upon which the Wood Cow Chronicles are based. It is my privilege to bring this astonishing saga to light.

The Wood Cow Chronicles have been researched and written with the irreplaceable assistance of Barbara, my beloved wife of more than thirty-five years, and our children. Indeed, the essential research into the history of the Wood Cows has been conducted during the odd hours of family reading and storytelling “around the campfire” as we say–even when there is no campfire! This research continues and grows richer as our family expands across generations and continents.

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Pinterest

Book Blast Giveaway

$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 5/1/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Giveaway: Feed Your Reader and win a Kindle Fire!

Robin — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 22:32:26 +0000

Inspired Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer has launched a new site aimed at bringing you the best Kindle Ebook Deals and Steals.

Each day on feedyourreader.com you’ll find a new list of available ebook deals (most for under $3).

And of course there will be lots of Featured Freebies too!

To celebrate the launch of the new site she is giving away a Kindle Fire, Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash.

Win a 7″ Kindle Fire (US only)

Or $100 Amazon.com Gift Card (International)

Or $100 in Paypal Cash (International)

Giveaway Details

1 winner will receive their choice of a Kindle Fire 7″ (US Only), $100 Amazon Gift Card or $100 in Paypal Cash (International).

Ends 5/5/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Prize value $100-$159 US.

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Giveaway: Kindle Fire HD Giveaway April 2013

Robin — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 22:51:24 +0000

Kindle Fire HD 7″ Giveaway

The winner will have the option of receiving a 7″ Kindle Fire HD (US Only)

Or $199 Amazon.com Gift Card (International)

Or $199 in Paypal Cash (International)

Sponsoring Bloggers & Authors

Giveaway Details

1 winner will receive their choice of a Kindle Fire 7″ HD (US Only), $199 Amazon Gift Card or $199 in Paypal Cash (International).

Ends 4/30/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the participating authors & bloggers. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Prize value $199 US.

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Guest Post: The Hotness Factor in YA Paranormal Romance

Robin — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 12:00:52 +0000

In most YA paranormal romance, the lead guy is almost always hot. It doesn’t matter if he’s a vampire, ghost, zombie, werewolf, angel, shapeshifter or alien.

Because let’s face it. If you’re romantically involved with a vampire, wouldn’t you rather he look like this:

than this:

Don’t get me wrong. It’s important that paranormal dudes not only be hot, but have super-human abilities. These abilities usually translate to super-human personalities. Hotness in real life wears off– especially if they’re a dummy or a narcissist. But in fiction, you can have a guy who’s … everything. That’s why I created Jordyn Stryker, a half-human, half-alien lead who is not only hot, but who can:

–read your mind

–teleport you anywhere

–make you believe you see one thing, when it’s really another

–slip in between dimensions so he’s invisible

–access your fears, dreams & memories

–visit you in a dreamstate

–use his incredible golden eyes as a conduit of his powers over humans. That’s why you can’t look away when he’s gazing at you. You’re literally hypnotized.

Paranormal guys usually have incredible eyes. Whether they’re glimmering emerald green, dark and penetrating, or luminously golden, you can’t take your gaze from them. I mean, look at the eyes on Daemon Black, Jennifer Armentrout’s hottie alien from Obsidian. Whoa.

The eyes are important for aliens. If you’ve researched aliens as I’ve incorporated in Starseed, you’d know that the eyes are a control device. That’s why you can’t look away when one of them zeros in on YOU.

Paranormal dudes are usually super intelligent, too. That means they’re not the usual moron guy who totally doesn’t get what you’re thinking or feeling and you walk away muttering “whatever” and shaking your head. The paranormal guy cares. He knows you. He feels you. He knows how to push your buttons.

In Starseed, though Jordyn can read your mind, he isn’t a douche. He doesn’t make sarcastic snipes, ignore you or forget your birthday. No. He’s level headed and practical, but has a mission on his mind. That mission isn’t in your friends or family’s best interest. Sorry, it’s called conflict. Welcome to paranormal romance. But if you were half ET and met a hottie hybrid like Jordyn, you’d probably light up, too.

But what if Jordyn looked like this:

Can you imagine kissing that? The romance vanishes in a POOF just like Jordyn can. So in Starseed, I have gray aliens in a scary scene, but I also have Jordyn, who is a hybrid (half ET) so he can fit in with humans and be as hot as his little self can be without him knowing it. Because Jordyn doesn’t care about hotness or romance. He grew up, as many aliens, without emotion. When he meets Kaila, who is also a hybrid, he fights a rising alien feeling: LOVE.

For love, the paranormal dude must have a female he’s attracted to. Trust me, Jordyn wouldn’t be fighting his naturally alien tendencies of a group mind versus expressing love with Kaila on Earth if Kaila looked like this:

The females in paranormal fiction can be hot, but to make them humble, often they don’t know it. (Ugly duckling to swan syndrome) or have bookish characteristics (so we readers can identify), or they take off into super-woman territory like, say, Katniss (Hunger Games) or Tris (Divergent).

But when casting I Am Number Four, what does the female alien Number Six look like?

Certainly NOT this—

But this—

You see, dudes don’t want to make out with tentacled exo-skeletal creatures.

And paranormal babes don’t swoon over bald heads, gray skin, black eyes, skinny arms and standing about three feet high.

If it’s paranormal romance, it better be hot, otherwise it’s called: HORROR.

–Liz Gruder

**********************

Starseed (available in print and eBook) by Liz Gruder

Publisher: WiDo Publishing

ISBN: 978-1937178291 

Starseed concerns a sixteen-year-old girl who falls in love with a starseed boy who reveals that she, too, is half extraterrestrial, and is forced to choose her allegiance between Earth or her star family.

Liz Gruder website: www.lizgruder.com

Liz Gruder facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorlizgruder

Liz Gruder twitter: https://twitter.com/LizGruder

Liz Gruder goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/LizGruder

WiDo Publishing: www.widopublishing.com

Amazon link to Starseed: http://www.amazon.com/Starseed-ebook/dp/B00B3KYYLC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1362164988&sr=8-2&keywords=starseed+liz+gruder

Review: Starseed, by Liz Gruder

Robin — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 12:00:36 +0000

Why I’m reviewing this book: When I read the premise of Starseed on the blog I am a Reader, Not a Writer, I was intrigued. Plus, I’ve really enjoyed getting involved with the book blasts and giveaways that I am a Reader sponsors. So, I signed up for the book blast and to do a review.

GoodReads.com Summary: Kaila Guidry has always known she is different. After all, her mother insists Kaila hide her hair under a tin foil shield and a wig before leaving the house. When Kaila meets Jordyn Stryker one day at school, she starts to understand the origin of her mother’s seemingly irrational fears.

Jordyn Stryker was born and raised far from Earth, a starseed, one of six new students sent undercover to Louisina’s Bush High to learn human ways. When Kaila is pushed to her limit by high school bullying and cruelty, Jordyn steps in and awakens her to a new reality, and to love. Out of loyalty to him, Kaila looks the other way when the real purposes of the starseed begin to unfold.

As the horrific plan behind the starseed visit to Earth moves forward, Kaila and Jordyn, caught in an impossible love, must face who they really are and decide where their true loyalties lie.

Content advisory: As a romance, there’s a lot of kissing, pressing bodies against each other, and so forth. There’s also some violence (including one particularly brutal scene) and coarse language. Finally, there’s one party with underage drinking taking place.

Does this book end? Yes, in that this could be a standalone book. There’s plenty of room for a sequel, but I don’t see anything about that on the author’s website.

My thoughts: First of all, this is a romance book. As such, I’m far from the target audience, so take everything else I say in this review with that grain of salt in mind. Even so, the romance felt artificial, as if Kalia and Jordayn are just supposed to love each other without any real basis beyond finding each other attractive (more on that later). The other part of the plot, the aliens (is it a spoiler to say that it’s aliens? I don’t think so), is a little better, but not by much.

I’ll tackle the alien thing first. Throughout Starseed, the aliens are doing “impossible” things, most of the time just because they want to. They are socially awkward and don’t fit in with the rest of the high school (understandably), and most of the time they don’t really want to fit in. At the same time, however, they want to experience stuff that high school (and Earth) has to offer, making their approaches to everything eccentric at best. Sometimes this is funny, and sometimes it’s not. On top of that, there’s no explanation (or limit, it seems) to their powers beyond “we’re using our entire mind” and “we’re not permitted to do that”. Several times, their actions are either glossed over or effectively erased simply by using their powers.

Then there’s the romantic side of the story. Once Kalia and Jordyn find and allow themselves to express their feelings for each other, it’s all about kissing and dragging lips across facial parts and pressing his hard body against her soft body (or hers against his, or whatever). What makes this worse, I feel, is the comparison of that love to the love Kalia has for her grandfather, who is dying from cancer and is totally devoted to Kalia. Romantic love with a boyfriends is, and should be, completely different than familial love with a grandfather, yet the book seems to make them both the same powerful love.

Not that this is not a well-written book. There’s plenty of interesting ideas presented, and the beginning draws the reader in. Strange twists throughout the story kept me reading more, mostly to see how everything would end. Still, all the characters are described as thin and athletic, and Kalia for the most part gets just about whatever she wants. Certain key events also seem to take place solely to steer Kalia in one direction or another, with no consequences or impact on the rest of the world.

The bottom line: Starseed is an interesting story about aliens, romance, and the power of humanity, only without much of a compelling story to support these themes.

Book Blast! Starseed, by Liz Gruder

Robin — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 12:00:59 +0000

Starseed

Author: Liz Gruder

ISBN: 978-1937178291

Publisher: WiDo Publishing

Published: February 2013

SUMMARY

Kaila Guidry has always known she is different. When she meets Jordyn Stryker at school, she finds out just how different.

Jordyn was born and raised far from Earth, a starseed, one of six new students sent to Louisiana’s Bush High to learn human ways. But Jordyn didn’t count on meeting someone like Kaila.

When Kaila is pushed to her limit by high school bullying and cruelty, Jordyn awakens her to a new reality—and to love. But to prove herself, Kaila must look the other way as the real purposes of the starseeds unfold.

As the horrific plan behind the starseed visit to Earth moves inexorably forward, Kaila and Jordan, caught in an impossible love, must determine where their true loyalties lie.

Praise

“You know from the opening paragraph that something very strange is going on… We see Kaila try to live the life of a normal teen, and we see her “otherness” pull her back into an increasingly tangled web of questions, deceit, and hidden intentions. Liz really shines as a writer, lining the closets and drawers of everyday life with spine-chilling suspense that springs out at you when you least expect it. Starseed is an entertaining read. I highly recommend.”

–Patricia B. Smith. Author “What the Animals Tell Me” and “Fifty Shades of Santa” (clean romance fiction)

“Liz Gruder’s characters come alive through youthful, spunky narrative, and her headstrong heroine, Kaila Guidry, elicits a reader’s encouragement from the first page. Fans of Amanda Hocking will find themselves similarly transported into Gruder’s exploration of the dark sides of faith, love, higher dimensions, and, of course, high school.”

–Jadie Jones, young-adult fantasy author

Purchase

Publisher * Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Amazon Kindle

Author Liz Gruder

As a youth, Liz Gruder saw a series of UFOs with her best friend while riding bikes. Ever since, she’s held a fascination for the stars. An avid reader, she used to hide under her covers and read with a flashlight. She has degrees in English and Psychology from Tulane University, a nursing license and a yoga certification. After going through Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Liz realized how short life is and is now slowly fulfilling her bucket list: she’s been to the Egyptian pyramids (totally awesome and thought provoking) and is now teaching yoga and writing speculative fiction. Starseed is her debut novel.

Goodreads * Twitter * Website * Blog * Facebook

Tour Schedule

Book Blast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 4/7/13

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Giveaway: Kindle Fire Giveaway March 2013

Robin — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 00:27:33 +0000

Kindle Fire HD Giveaway!

The winner will have the option of receiving a 7″ Kindle Fire HD (US Only)

Or $199 Amazon.com Gift Card (International)

Or $199 in Paypal Cash (International)

Sponsoring Authors

Cascade Brides by Bonnie Blythe

Twenty-Five Years Ago Today by Stacy Juba

The Return of the Dragon Riders by Kristian Alva

Prison Nation by Jenni Merritt

The Stone Guardian by Theresa McClinton

For What It’s Worth by Karey White

Hidden Heart by Camelia Miron Skiba

The Gryphon Series by Stacey Rourke

Shifting Pride by Laura Diamond

Fire Within (Guardian Witch #2) by Ally Shields

The Light of Asteria by Elizabeth Isaacs

Kiss Me, I’m Irish by Bella Street

Legend Unleashed by M. Latimer-Ridley

Innovera Yakov- The Journey of a Thousand Eyes by Kia Garriques

The Gifted by Deborah Andreasen

Reflection by Kim Cresswell

Forbidden Temptation of a Vampire by Jodie B. Cooper

Family Magic by Patti Larsen

Fall of Sky City by S.M. Blooding

Blood Oath by T.L. Clarke

Grace Doll by Jennifer Laurens

A Tale of the Other Kind by Leandi Cameron

Alexander Drake by Elizabeth Parkinson Bellows

Owlet by Emma Michaels

Aura by Rebecca Talley

Giveaway Details

1 winner will receive their choice of a Kindle Fire HD (US Only), $199 Amazon Gift Card or $199 in Paypal Cash (International).

Ends: 3/31/13

Leap into Books Giveaway Hop 2013 Winners!

Robin — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 00:22:04 +0000

Thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s Leap into Books Giveaway Hop! I’ve now gone up to over one hundred Likes on Facebook, and i’ve added a few new friends. Hopefully, I’ll be able to keep some momentum going and figure out how to participate in even more giveaways and such.

The winners of the giveaway are Emily L. Moir-Genther and Angela Winesburg. I’ve e-mailed the winners, so if that’s you, check your email!

Meanwhile, I’m still working on signing up for more giveaways and blog tours, as well as finding more stuff to add to my blog. Keep watching for more reviews, blog entries, and giveaways!

Batman vs. Iron Man: Which one costs more?

Robin — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 23:39:19 +0000

I was directed to this infographic comparing the assets of Batman/Bruce Wayne and Iron Man/Tony Stark as represented in their latest movies. I thought it was really interesting and well done, so here it is:

Created by HomeownersInsurance.com

So, what do you think? Did the get it right, or are they way off the mark? And which one would you rather be? Personally, I’d prefer Iron Man’s suit over Batman’s, but that’s largely my prejudice towards Marvel over DC showing.

Please comment below!